Don't Make Me Choose
by FoxSpirit
Summary: Yahiko is kidnapped and Kaoru is blackmailed into becoming an assasin. Can Kenshin bring himself to stop her? Chap. 2 is up!
1. Sacrifices

My first Rurouni Kenshin fic! Hope you all like it ^_^

*I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or it's characters*

Chapter 1 - Sacrifices  
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Yahiko Myoujin walked down the dimly lit street of Tokyo at nine pm on a warm fall night. He was on his way back to the Kamiya Dojo from getting the groceries Kaoru had been nagging him to get all day.

_Stupid Kaoru, _he thought, _why doesn't _she_ get the food? It's _her_ dojo._ Yahiko yawned and continued on his way down the road. Soon the Kamiya Dojo was in sight. He was passing the final alley when a hand put itself over his mouth and dragged him into the darkness.  
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"K-Kenshin..." The swordsman heard his name being called by a trembling voice. Kenshin recognized it immediately to be Kaoru's, but it's stronger tone had faded into nothing replaced by her trembling words and stutters. Slowly he opened his eyes letting them adjust to the light.

Kaoru was shaking badly, and her eyes were glossy with tears, and the wet stains on her kimono showed she had been crying for awhile. Kenshin couldn't remember seeing her this way, save for the time when he left for Kyoto.

"What's wrong Miss Kaoru?" he asked.

"K-Kenshin...Yahiko...he's disappeared...we c-can't find him anywhere...he didn't come home last night," Kaoru fell apart and started crying harder then before. Kenshin's eyes widened at her statement.

"What? Miss Kaoru he has to be somewhere, that he must. Have you waken Sano yet?" Kenshin questioned.

"Y-yes, he's been out looking for a few minutes..." Kaoru sobbed. 

"Please don't cry Miss Kaoru, you have to be strong right now. When was the last time anyone saw Yahiko?" Kenshin tried to comfort her. She sniffed and continued.

"Last night...the person who sold the food to him saw him...and I did," she started crying harder again.

"Miss Kaoru please," Kenshin tried to calm her down.

"Kenshin you don't understand. It's _my _fault he's gone!" Kaoru said. When he didn't say anything she explained, "Yesterday he wouldn't go out and get the food for today no matter how many times I told him to. Last night I told him he couldn't stay at the dojo if he didn't start doing something other then practice constantly so he went out to get the groceries. That's when he went missing! Kenshin if I hadn't said that to him and let him go out today he would still be here."

"Miss Kaoru it's all right. It was a mistake, please don't blame yourself for this," he said, "who ever took Yahiko would have found another opportunity to take him if it wasn't last night." Kaoru tried to pull herself together. "We have to keep searching for him, he'll turn up eventually."

"No one knows where he could be, I've talked to everyone near by the dojo. One man saw him walking back here with a bag in his hand but after that no one saw him," Sanosuke walked in the room.

"Where was he when the man saw him Sano?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru was still crying.

"He was on the street that turns onto this one," Sanosuke said, "he was really close to here. I don't get how he could disappear within a few feet of the dojo."

"How could he have disappeared on this street? There's no where for anyone to jump him without being obvious," Kenshin wondered aloud.

"There is one..." Kaoru piped up. Kenshin and Sano turned to her. "There's an alley next to the corner where you turn onto this street."

"That's the only place that wouldn't have been in sight," Kenshin said.

"But why would anyone want to kidnap Yahiko?!" Kaoru cried.

"We don't know Missy, you gotta pull yourself together!" Sano scolded. Kenshin stood up.

"We're going to go look around that alley you mentioned Miss Kaoru, your welcome to come, but maybe you should stay here and calm down a little," Kenshin smiled and pulled Sano out the door. When they were outside he said, "try to be a little bit less harsh with her Sano, she's blaming herself for Yahiko's disappearance that she is."

"Why is she doing that?" Sano asked as they started walking.

"She's the one who sent him out to get the food when he disappeared," Kenshin explained, and Sano nodded. They reached the alley and began looking for anything that could help them.

~~~~~~~~In the Dojo~~~~~~~~

_Kenshin's right, some other time that person would have tried to steal Yahiko away. _Kaoru thought. She was sitting in a corner, and had pulled her legs to her chest and put her arms around them. Her eyes were red from crying. _But he could have been with us longer if I didn't send him out. Maybe whoever it was would have given up after awhile, maybe more people would have had information to help us. No, I can't think like that. I have to be strong like Kenshin said. For Yahiko, _she encouraged herself. "It can't be all my fault!" she shouted.

"But it is Kaoru Kamiya," someone's voice came through the walls behind her. Her head shot up and she looked frantically around for the source of the unfamiliar voice.

"No...no it's not!" Kaoru shouted to the man who was talking to her.

"Stop denying it, if you hadn't told him to go out no one would have gotten him. _I_ wouldn't have gotten him," the man spoke again. Kaoru's eyes widened.

"_Your_ the one who took Yahiko? Where is he? Where are you?" Kaoru asked shakily.

"Come out side and I'll tell you everything you want to know," the voice coaxed.

_This could be a trick. But if there's any chance I can get Yahiko back it's worth it, _Kaoru thought. She picked up her wooden sword and walked out of the room. She circled the dojo until she saw a tall man standing in front of her. He had some what tanned skin, with black hair pulled into a pony tail falling a little past his shoulders, and deep blue eyes. He was dressed in a blue uniform with a long dark coat draped over it.

"I'm glad you came Miss Kamiya, it was wise of you," the man taunted.

"Stop teasing me, just tell me what you were going to," she spat out.

"Just follow me please," the man turned around and beckoned her to come with him. Kaoru hesitated at first, but walked behind him.

The man lead her down a series of back alleys, as not to be seen by anyone. _I never knew these existed..._she thought as they continued. Soon they were on the outskirts of the city. "Where are we going?! We're almost out of Tokyo!" Kaoru yelled at him.

"I'm taking you to Yahiko. Do you think I would have kept him in the city? I know you and your friends would have turned the whole city upside down looking for him," the man said. His tone was eerily calm. Kaoru shot him another glare and they continued down the dirt road. The trees over shadowed most of the path, making it darker then it would normally seem.

Soon they reached a small hut and the man opened the door for Kaoru. _He's oddly polite considering he kidnapped Yahiko, _Kaoru thought. She watched him as she walked inside. When she turned her head she was facing Yahiko. "Yahiko!" Kaoru cried and ran over to him. He was tied to a wooden chair with his head hanging down and his arms behind his back. Kaoru dropped to her knees and stared. "What did you do to him?!" she yelled at the man.

"He's just unconscious I haven't harmed him in anyway Miss Kamiya," the man said, "if I did that I could never get you to work with me." Kaoru turned around slowly with a look of curiosity and disgust on her face.

"What do you mean _work with you_?" Kaoru asked.

"Well, not really work with me, more along the lines of for me," the man explained.

"Why would I do that? I don't even know your name!" she shouted at him.

"My name is Suboshi -" he said before Kaoru cut him off.

"Okay now that we have that matter cleared up WHY would I work for you?!" she ranted.

"Because I control Yahiko's future. If I wish for him to perish then..." Suboshi pulled a knife from underneath his coat sleeve and put it to Yahiko's throat. Kaoru's eyes widened.

"Don't!" She yelled, "Don't...please...I'll do anything." Kaoru lowered her head in defeat.

"That's what I thought you would say Miss Kaoru," the man returned the knife to it's resting place. 

"What do you want me to do?" She asked distastefully.

"Many people have crossed me and I would like them taken care of." Suboshi answered smirking. "I'd like you to handle those affairs for me."

"Y-you want me to become an assassin?" Kaoru couldn't believe what she was being asked to do.

"Technically, yes," Suboshi said.

"But my sword style is about saving people with swords, not killing!" Kaoru said.

"A sword is a weapon Miss, it's something you have to come to grips with. Swords were made for murder and that is that," he said firmly. "So, will you accept my offer?"

"Isn't there any other way?" Kaoru pleaded desperately.

"Yahiko could -" Suboshi showed a glint of silver from him sleeve.

"Stop!" Kaoru shouted, and Suboshi lowered his knife. _Can I really become a murderer? Sacrifice my father's ideals? I...I don't want to, but if I don't Yahiko will die..._she thought. "Fine. I'll do as you want..." Kaoru agreed reluctantly, tears welling up in her eyes. _Yahiko, Sanosuke, everyone else back at the dojo...and most of all to you Kenshin, I'm so sorry._

"That's very wise of you, I'm glad you've seen it my way," Suboshi said.

"When I get out of this, you'll be the last person I'll ever assassinate," she swore her revenge on him then.

"Revenge is sweet isn't it Miss Kamiya?" he taunted. Kaoru only glared at him. "Until I decide to release him, Yahiko will remain in this house and you will remain my assassin."

"And when will that be?" Kaoru spat out, her head down. She refused to look at this man.

"Whenever I feel like," Suboshi answered simply. "Until then you must do as I say. Whatever you do will reflect directly on the boy." Kaoru looked up with a puzzled look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Be good, he'll be fine. Be disobedient and bad things will happen to him," Suboshi said. 

"Can...can I say good bye to everyone at the dojo? At least give them notice that I...won't be coming back for a while..." Kaoru's voice faded as she tried to hold back her tears.

"No, you can't tell them that you will be leaving. They'll figure out where you are eventually," Suboshi replied and turned his back to leave. Soon after Yahiko woke up.

"Kaoru? Where...are we?" Yahiko asked confused once he had waken up a bit. Kaoru broke down into uncontrolled sobs and slowly told the story. 


	2. New Feelings

o_0;; Sorry for not updating _any _of my fics in a while! I just keep putting things off, and I've had a few projects due in school too. Finally got this chapter typed anyway. Hope you all like it. Sorry again if the characters are getting a little off original....

*I do not own Rurouni Kenshin*

* * *

Kenshin dropped to his knees. _How...how can this be? _He and Sanosuke had been searching Tokyo for three days now, without a trace of Yahiko. Now, even worse to Kenshin, he had lost Kaoru. _Where can you be Miss Kaoru? After what happened to Yahiko you wouldn't leave us without saying anything first. You, most of all, were devastated by Yahiko's disappearance. Now you plague us with your own?_

"We'll find them both Kenshin," Sano tried to cheer up the swordsman.

"How Sano? We've turned the city upside down searching. Asked every person if they had spotted them, and to no avail!" Kenshin vented. The red head picked himself up and started walking back to the Kamiya Dojo, alone.

~~~~Later that Night~~~~~~  
Slowly, a middle aged man walked down the silent streets of Tokyo. The time creep along as he placed one foot in front of the other. A icy gust of wind came from behind, and the man pulled his navy jacket up closer to his body. His tan skin looked pale in the dim light of night.

The fragile figure lurking behind him cast almost no shadow as she glided forward swiftly. Her prey had left safety, was now alone, helpless in the dead of night. All it was now was a game of cat and mouse. No one could save him now. Her deep blue hair, tied to a ponytail, flew behind her as she stalked her victim. The young woman's heart raced as she drew closer. Was it excitement? Or fear?

The man looked behind him. Those foot steps he had heard must have been his imagination running wild. Even so, some instinct long forgotten told him to quicken his pace, and he willingly obeyed. Another sound frightened him more, and he couldn't help but break out to a run. Terror spread over him as he glanced back and saw the slender, dark figure following in pursuit. Sweat trickled down his forehead, but he had never felt so chilled in his life. He shot his head back again and his heart skipped a beat when a faint glint of silver met his gaze.

The woman's hand firmed it's grip on the hilt of her katana when she reached the man. Her feet left the ground as she leap, and raised the blade high into the sky, bringing it down swiftly. No petrified scream could escape his lips before he fell to the ground, and his life faded into nothing.

Crimson. Kaoru's eyes blocked out all color, save the red of blood. It stained everything, her sword, the ground, the man, her clothes, her hands, and her innocence. Nothing was left untainted. The man lay in front of her, motionless. Was this what it was like to experience a kill? Was this the kind of feeling you get from murder?

Wasn't it supposed t be horrible?

But that was the last emotion Kaoru felt. She felt excited, unstoppable, on top of the world. Everything was at ease, all her worries, sorrows, everything was washed away with the stream of blood flowing from his body. Her anger was taken out in the final strike that ended his life.

The exhilaration of those few moments before she brought the sword down on him. The sound the escaped her blade when it met his flesh. The look of his eyes when he felt the pain, and the way they glazed over. The rush she felt when he feel to the ground, and would never rise on his own again. The blood she had split had given her a high. And she wanted more.

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"A man was found dead last night on the outskirts of the city. He was positively identified as an important official for the Meiji government, handling foreign affairs. The killer left no evidence behind, and no witnesses were found. The police are still investigating, but are not releasing very much information on the incident," Sano read aloud. The report had reached the dojo for Kenshin and Sano, along with a note asking for their help.

Kenshin sat silently, staring at the ground. _They don't really care about him. They just want to get their job done as quickly as possible. They know that we're working on something of our own. We've already told them that Kaoru and Yahiko are missing. They just want our help because they don't want to put the effort into finding and fighting the murderer._

"Kenshin?" Sano looked over at his silent friend, "are we going to help them?"

"I don't know," Kenshin replied, "it's the polices job to take care of this. Not ours. We have some other matters to attend to, that we do."

"And what do you think we can do about them Kenshin? We've searched the entire city! Asked everyone who we could find if they had any idea of what could have happened but no one knows anything! Kenshin I know your hurt by their disappearances, but you have to keep helping other people too. Maybe we'll find something out about them if we help with this problem," Sano fumed. Everything was starting to tick him off. 

"Since when has helping the government been very high on your priority list Sanosuke?" Kenshin asked. He had been up late again the night before thinking about anything that might possibly help them. A little too late.

Sano stared at Kenshin in wonder, then stood up and walked out of the room saying, "And since when has snapping at people been hobby of yours Kenshin?"

_Great. I've driven another person away. This is the last thing we need right now, that it is. We have to work together to get them back, being alone won't help anyone right now. I guess Sano was right. I shouldn't be snapping at people because I've been staying up late and letting everything get to me. I just want to make all of this end sooner. _Kenshin mentally scolded himself. The red head pulled himself together and walked out after Sanosuke.

Later, after everything had been settled, they went to the police to try and offer their help. "What do you want us to do?" Sano questioned first.

"Anything you can. Since this was closer to the outskirts of the city we think that the culprit might have left Tokyo and gone to hide in the woods around here," a random officer replied willingly. Sano sighed and walked out to the woods.

"This is stupid, how are we supposed to do anything if the ones who were trained to take care of this stuff can't even get their acts together?!" he threw his head back and looked at the sky. Kenshin was watching the ground.

"Because they were too lazy to look for this," he said kneeling down. Kenshin put his hand to the soft soil and picked up a leaf with red drops on it. After all that he had done the sight was a familiar one to him. Blood.

"Okay...so now what?" Sano said absent mindedly again.

"We continue going this way, that we do," he said, and walked forward again. They were both silent during their walk in the woods. Neither wanted to be here, and would rather have been looking for leads on the disappearances then searching through the forest. After a bit more walking Kenshin stopped, and was soon run over by Sanosuke who had been staring at the sky again.

"SANO THAT H-!" Kenshin nearly finished as Sanosuke apologized. When he had opened his eyes again Kenshin saw a small hut in a clearing just up the dirt path from them. 


End file.
